Description

Fun climbing on an upside-down staircase, then an easy face. The crux is at the big roof followed by another short easy face. Very varied. To find this route, follow the first main Watchtower wall around to the right into a corner and look for the upside-down staircase between two large chimmneys.

Protection

I top-roped this route by hiking around the west end of the buttress and rapping down off a big tree. It was a bit of a hassle, but there's a nice ledge and anchors at the top of the route once you get there. For trad, there are many horizontal seams that would probably take small nuts or cams, and at least one old piton underneath the large roof.

A great route that protects well. We used a #2 Camalot, and then a large nut just before the easy section. Then we used a small alien, and the pin, and a #1 Camalot just over the 1st roof, and to keep the exit safe a .75 Camalot. Very awkward climb, but the moves are there and it is well worth the rush to lead this classic.

Very good climb, almost a classic in my book. I lead this thing strait up and later realized the guide book shows the route going to the right a bit for the first roof section. Anyway, leading this thing strait up was taxing and a bit harder than the right variation IMO.

Historic status aside...there is no longer a pin on this route. So make sure the gear is bomber. Boissal, I've no idea what caused its demise but I hope it's not related to the flesh and blood draped all over the route.

Flesh and blood uh? Might need to go check it out. You can equalize a couple of .4s or better a .4 and a yellow mastercam in there. Long runners better. I've always backed up that piece anyway and there's a textbook #1 placement just above...

Someone also stole the KB piton that I put in my new route Karmic Trace on the Cathedral. So if someone is trying to put together a rack of pins for their first nail up big wall, instead of stealing them off my route and others, why don't you just PM me and I'll give you whatever pins you need.

Super fun route, the top of the "upside-down staircase" can be hard for shorter people, if you don't lay back on the rail to the left then move your feet up and get into the first little crack. but all in all its an amazing climb!

Wow, I attempted this route about a year ago and blew a cam out of a horizontal above the historical pin. Coming down head first (the pull of the cam must have brought me into the wall, flipping me upside down when my feet hit) I can confidently say that pin saved my life. So did someone work the pin out on purpose, or did it come out from a fall?

Yeah textbook placements, no pin needed on this amazing route. Yellow and orange metolius under the roof w single runners, both bomber, and as for the #1 in the horizontal, like Boissal says, it doesn't get any more textbook than that - try working it in towards the left for a tighter fit